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Sunday Cocktail

New Orleans is the birthplace of many iconic cocktails. The long list includes “the big three” New Orleans drinks: The Hurricane, Ramos Gin Fizz and The Sazerac.
Surely you wouldn't leave the crescent city until you have had at least one of each, but don't forget to swing by Napoleon House for the unsung hero of New Orleans cocktails, the iconic Pimm's Cup.

In the golden age of cinema there were stars, there were superstars, and then there were those rare talents that were regarded as Hollywood royalty.
One such talent was Mary Pickford, known in her prime as “America's Sweetheart” and “Queen of the Movies”. Pickford's on-screen resume includes over 50 features, and one delicious namesake cocktail.
Mary Pickford was the most versatile and recognizable performers of the early 20th century starring in some of the most enduring films of the silent era.

November is here! The Christmas décor is on display at many stores and morning shows are flooded with recipes, all of them using pumpkin spice.
In years past I would have taken this opportunity to feature a seasonal cocktail to serve with Thanksgiving dinner. Rather than give you my take on the trendy turkey day cocktails currently blowing up your social media newsfeed, I figured this year we would go back to basics.

Which came first: the chicken or the egg white cocktail?
Once upon a time all sours (including Whiskey Sours) were made with egg whites. Somewhere between the end of prohibition and the 1950s egg whites disappeared from most bars.
These days it's rare to find a bar that serves Whiskey Sours, Gin Sours and other classics with egg whites.
There is one classic cocktail that absolutely, positively must be made with an egg white, the Peruvian-born Pisco Sour.

America, we have a bit of a sweet tooth. In fact, we could possibly have the sweetest tooth in the entire world.
We invented the chocolate chip cookie, the Tootsie Roll and Coca-Cola. We combined soda with beer brewed from sassafras root to create the modern version of root beer, and eventually poured it on vanilla ice cream giving birth to the root beer float.
This week we are going to toast root beer lovers everywhere with the rum and Kahlua powered Ultimate Root Beer Float.

Fall is in the air and soon it will be time to deck the halls. Before we deck the halls, we will need to stock the bar for holiday entertaining.
This is the time of year that my friends and family begin to ask the question, “What should I have in my home bar?”
A properly stocked home bar is a cornerstone to entertaining, and if done right will not cost nearly as much as you might think. There is still plenty of time to stock your bar for the upcoming holiday parties. Let's get to work.

Have you ever been offered a shot of “Dutch Courage?” Or, have you ever been accused of having too much of it?
The phrase “Dutch Courage” refers either to the invincible feeling one gets after consuming an adult beverage, or to the alcohol itself.
The phrase originated during the Thirty Years' War during which the English army would regularly consume gin before battle. Gin originated in the Netherlands and the soldiers appreciated its warming properties during cold weather along with that extra bit of “courage” prior to battle.

About this time of year our local supermarkets remind us that Halloween is coming. Yes, this advance notice seems to come earlier with each passing year. I'm willing to overlook the untimely Halloween displays in mid-September (summer) if those displays include the heart and soul of Halloween. Of course I'm talking about candy corn.
Ah, yes, candy corn. It's not Halloween without it, and as we will find out this week it's not just for the kids. Reintroduce candy corn to your guests this year with the official cocktail of Halloween, The Candy Corn Martini.

The beaches are empty, it's baseball and football season, and depending on where you live, fall may or may not be in the air.
The change of seasons is officially upon us as we mark the end of summer on Sept. 22. Does your drink of choice change with seasons? Mine certainly does.
My summer is mostly rum and tequila cocktails while cool fall and winter nights are made for bourbon, Scotch and Irish whiskey.

In 2002 famed New York Bartender T.J. Siegal managed to do what very few mixologists have been able to do - create a modern classic cocktail.
It seems that over the last century nearly every possible combination of spirit, sugar, bitters, etc. has been made into something with a catchy name.
Sometimes with a little imagination you strike gold, and that's exactly what happened with this week's cocktail, the modern classic Gold Rush.